✭⁎ 𝚊𝚎𝚒𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚢 *

 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 ; 𝙪𝙣𝙮𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 ( GUIDE + ROSTER. )

[aeipathcy]

mobile links.

❪ rules ❫ ┄ ❪ mobile roster ❫ ┄ ❪ roster ❫ ┄ ❪ wish list ❫ ┄ ❪ meme tag ❫

active blogs.

❪ aeviterncl ; oc multi side blog ❫ ┄ ❪ abrasife ; single oc ❫

writer.

severa . she / her . 18+ 

** I am using the BETA EDITOR, so please use it when writing with me

[strongwilledsoul]

Lian just takes Reece's face between his hands, pulls him close, and kisses him square on the lips. No reason, other than the fact his emotions are simply too much to contain.

Reece blinks in confusion as a flash of pale blond hair darts into his line of sight, and then soft, warm lips press against his. Reece never, ever got bored of kisses from Lian. He never got bored of Lian initiating affection.

He was so in love with this silly, gentle, warm man. Reece was so glad that this was his partner--his person.

"Mmmm. You missed a spot. Try again. Maybe try two or three more times actually..."

[mcflymemes]

PROMPTS FOR SILENT ACTIONS THAT SAY A LOT *  i wrote these with the implication that the sender doesn't say a word before they perform the action. adjust as necessary, send 'reverse' for the reversal of the prompt

[ tug ] sender tugs receiver behind them during a tense moment

[ pull ] sender pulls receiver out of harm's way at the last second

[ tuck ] sender stares at receiver and quietly reaches up, tucking a fallen strand of hair behind receiver's ear

[ yank ] sender yanks receiver closer to them, ending up in semi-suggestive close proximity

[ steady ] sender grabs receiver's arm to steady them before they fall over

[ walk ] sender moves around receiver and walks closest to the street as they travel down the sidewalk, keeping receiver away from any potential danger in the roadway

[ untied ] sender drops to their knee and starts tying receiver's shoe for them

[ spoon ] sender lifts a spoon towards receiver's mouth, encouraging them to eat

[ trace ] sender traces receiver's lips with their thumb

[ pin ] sender pins receiver to a tucked-away spot in the shadows to avoid being caught

[ neck ] without a word, sender dips down to receiver's throat and kisses them soundly

[ handheld ] sender slips a hand behind their back and grabs receiver's fingers as they stand behind them

[ carry ] without asking, sender takes receiver's heavy bags from them and carries them

[ lock ] sender and receiver lock eyes across the room

[ drink ] sender brings receiver a drink and holds it to their lips, insisting they take a drink

[ reload ] sender reloads receiver's gun for them in the middle of a fight

[ shelter ] sender uses their body to shelter receiver from an explosion or attack

[ carry ] sender picks up receiver and carries them off the battlefield and into a safe spot before running back to the fight

[ toss ] from a secret hiding spot only receiver and sender can see as they avoid an enemy, sender silently gestures to receiver to toss them (their gun, something valuable, etc.)

[ stairs ] sender offers out a hand to help receiver ascend or descend a staircase

[ cover ] sender covers receiver's eyes so they don't witness something gruesome

[ fix ] sender comes up to receiver and fixes their collar and/or tie

[ shake ] to convince receiver not to do something, sender hastily shakes their head from a distance

[ watch ] from a distance, sender taps on their watch to show receiver they're running out of time

[ i'll go ] sender gently pushes receiver back, taking charge and insisting they will handle the dangerous task

[ reach ] through a locked gate, sender reaches for receiver's hand

[ ship ] as receiver's ship takes off from the planet, sender waves to them from the ground and watches them leave

[ protect ] after someone threatens receiver, sender rushes over and gets right in their face to protect them

[ punch ] after someone attacks receiver, sender rushes over and punches them in retaliation

[ nip ] sender playfully nips at receiver's neck

[ knuckles ] sender kisses receiver's knuckles in a polite gesture

[ squeeze ] sender gives receiver's butt a playful squeeze from behind

[ danger ] as an all-powerful receiver is about to lose control of their powers and cause massive damage, sender finds their eyes and tries to talk them down

[ goodbye ] without saying a word, sender approaches receiver and kisses them goodbye

[ wipe ] sender wipes a tear from receiver's face

[ location ] without saying anything and giving away the surprise, sender takes receiver to a secret spot

[ hold back ] sender has to hold back receiver from attacking someone

[ game ] sender lets receiver win a game they're playing

[ shower ] sender joins receiver in the shower they're taking

[strongwilledsoul]

@aeipathcy ||

Niko vc: *hands him a chocolate milkshake*

"I probably enjoy these way too much for someone who makes his living as a professional athlete..."

[aeipathcy]

❝ Milkshakes are really great. I don't see why you gotta worry so much about 'em if you burn off all that energy doing sports anyway. ❞

[cryptinspo]

– 𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗢𝗠 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗧𝗦 !

"Don’t look back."

"I missed you."

"It’s too late."

"Please don’t go."

"You promised me."

"Who did this?"

"I forgive you."

"We were gods."

"Leave me alone."

"They found us."

"Trust me, please."

"I need help."

"Run. Don’t stop."

"It wasn’t me."

"I remember everything."

"Burn it all."

"Tell me why."

"You never called."

"It’s just rain."

"You owe me."

"She’s not breathing."

"Is that blood?"

"You were right."

"It ends now."

"We start over."

"Stay with me."

"Nothing feels real."

"I hate this."

"Do it now."

"They're watching us."

"Make it stop."

"It's not yours."

"I was waiting."

"He’s behind you."

"They’re all gone."

"Time is up."

"Bring them back."

"It’s our turn."

"This is wrong."

"Don’t let go."

"We are cursed."

"No one knows."

"You're not real."

"Don’t say it."

"I saw everything."

"Nothing ever changes."

"Call it off."

"What are you?"

"I found it."

"Let me in."

[thunderousmemes]

SLOW–BURN SPARKS & QUIET HEARTFIRE

roleplay starters inspired by slow burn love — lingering glances, almost-touches, and feelings that simmer for months before finally spilling over

LONGING IN THE LITTLE MOMENTS

soft looks, subtle shifts, that ache of wanting more but not daring to reach

“Why do you always look away right when I catch your eyes?”

“You keep brushing my hand. Accidentally… right?”

“You don’t have to leave yet. Stay—just a few more minutes.”

“Why does being around you feel… different?”

“I notice the way you soften around me. Even when you try not to.”

ACCIDENTAL INTIMACY

hands brushing, falling asleep near each other, warmth passed back and forth

“You’re freezing—come here. It’s just body heat… nothing else.”

“You can lean on me if you’re tired. I wouldn't mind.”

“Hold still, you’ve got something in your hair—just let me…”

“Didn’t mean to fall asleep on you, but… I didn’t want to move.”

“I like it when you stand close. Even if you pretend you don’t notice.”

DENIAL THAT’S OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE ELSE

everyone sees it except the two falling in love

“Why does everyone keep asking if we’re together? We’re not… right?”

“No, I wasn’t staring. I was… observing. For reasons.”

“We’re just friends. Totally normal friends who… talk every night?”

“Why does it bother you when I flirt with other people?”

“We’re close. But not that close. Unless… you want to be?”

RISING TENSION, UNKEPT DISTANCE

the space between you shrinking, breath catching, lips almost touching

“You keep stepping closer. Are you doing that on purpose?”

“Tell me to back up. If you don’t, I won’t.”

“You can’t look at me like that and expect me to think straight.”

“If you touch me again, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop myself.”

“We’re either about to kiss or make the world’s worst decision.”

LATE NIGHTS THAT LEAD TO CONFESSIONS

quiet rooms, tired voices, guards slipping

“I shouldn’t say this, but… I feel safer with you than anyone else.”

“You’re the first person I think about in the morning. And the last at night.”

“I don’t know when it happened, but you’ve become… important.”

“Why do I only tell you the things I’m scared to say out loud?”

“Stay up with me. I don’t want this feeling to fade yet.”

FEAR OF RUINING EVERYTHING

the hesitation, the trembling, the hope

“If I told you the truth… would it ruin us?”

“I’m scared of losing what we already have.”

“I care about you too much to risk it unless you feel the same.”

“Don’t lie—there’s something between us. You feel it too.”

“Tell me you don’t want me, and I’ll pretend none of this happened.”

FINALLY CROSSING THE LINE

the moment where holding back isn’t possible anymore

“Come here. I can’t pretend I don’t want you anymore.”

“I’ve been waiting for you to make the first move.”

“If we’re doing this… don’t pull away.”

“I’ve wanted to kiss you for months.”

“Tell me this isn’t just one moment. Tell me we’re choosing each other.”

[recordmemes]

༘⋆｡ where it hurts starters.

caretaker.

i'll  stay  until  you  fall  asleep.

you're  not  a  burden.  not  to  me.

you  don't  have  to  act  tough  with  me.

let  me  help.

if  you  need  to  cry,  i'll  look  the  other  way.

you  don't  have  to  talk.

let  me  handle  it,  just  for  a  minute.

rest,  i'll  watch  over  you.

i  don't  care  if  you  think  you're  fine.  i'm  staying.

deep  breaths.

just  lean  on  me.

you're  safe  now,  okay?  just  breathe.

i  know  it  hurts.  i'll  sit  here  as  long  as  it  takes.

i'm  not  leaving  until  i  know  you're  okay.

you  don't  need  to  hide.

let  me  take  care  of  you  this  time.

shh.  i'm  right  here.

you  don't  have  to  put  on  a  smile  for  me.

i  don't  think  less  of  you.

i'll  be  here  when  you  wake  up.

you're  allowed  to  lean  on  me.  that's  what  i'm  here  for.

you  don't  have  to  be  okay.

scoot  over,  i'm  not  letting  you  sleep  alone.

your  hair's  a  mess.  let  me  brush  it.

don't  apologize.

cared  for.

i'm  tired,  that's  all.

please  don't  go.

i  don't  know  what  i  need.

you  didn't  need  to  come.

you  shouldn't  have  to  see  me  like  this.

i  hate  feeling  like  this.

i  was  trying  to  push  through.  i  think  i  made  it  worse.

this  is  so  embarrassing.

can  you  just...  stay  a  little  longer?

i  didn't  think  anyone  would  notice...

i'm  not  safe  in  my  own  head  right  now.

why  are  you  being  so  gentle  with  me?

i  don't  want  you  to  fix  me.

today's  just...  one  of  the  harder  days.

i  didn't  know  i  needed  to  hear  that.

can  you  stay?  after  i  fall  asleep?

sorry.  i  didn't  mean  to  flinch.

i  don't  always  know  what's  going  to  help.

this  is  the  nicest  anyone’s  been  to  me  all  week.

i'm  sorry.  i  know  i'm  a  lot.

i  don't  even  know  why  i'm  crying...

i  think  i'm  broken.

you  didn't  have  to  do  all  this  for  me.

i  don't  want  to  be  a  burden.

i  didn't  think  anyone  would  stay.

[aeipathcy]

Niko knew he had been screwing everything up lately. He could blame it on his half asleep brain or the fact that same brain of his continued to decay day after day, but none of those excuses felt remotely enough to fix things. It wasn't like he wanted to make those excuses anyway. Even though he had asked others for advice on how to fix it, nothing really ended up happening. He still ruined stuff anyway by saying the wrong thing, pushing the one good friend he had away. It wouldn't be a surprise to him if this last meet up was Max telling him they were absolutely done being friends.

The corpse had been so on edge that he had grabbed a different flavor of milkshake than usual, hardly noticing the fact that his drink wasn't even the same color as usual. He barely noticed the pieces of strawberry mixed in either. Even though he was familiar with the routine of buying his milkshake and meeting people at this small park, he was simply... scared—was that the feeling?—of what might happen this time. This park had been a place filled with good memories. He didn't want it to start becoming a painful one.

His unbeating heart felt heavy in his chest when Max moved to sit next to him, a couple feet away as per the usual distance kept between them. Niko honestly hated how far away that distance felt. Normally, he wasn't someone who minded that, but it felt different when he knew Max utterly despised any form of contact with him.

He slightly turned his head towards Max, red eyes fixing onto his friend's profile, listening attentively as he spoke. He took another sip of his strawberry milkshake.

Experiment? His eyebrows rose in confusion as he coughed loudly, barely preventing said milkshake from heading down the wrong pipe.

❝ … What? ❞ he stupidly uttered after swallowing. He let out a couple of coughs to revive his voice.

Niko was definitely open to repairing their relationship, but what did an experiment have to do with it? Wasn't he supposed to be in the wrong and the one trying to make things right for all the badly worded stuff he had said before?

Deciding to humor it anyway, Niko figured he should probably fish for more information. Wiping his lips clean with the back of his free hand, he awkwardly followed up his earlier outburst, ❝ I... don't mind, but, uh, what kind of experiment? ❞ Surely this wasn't a poor excuse of a joke, right?

[strongwilledsoul]

Max settled onto the bench next to Niko, honey-gold eyes staring down at his feet for a few moments. He let Niko's question hang in the air, collecting tension as he dropped into his own thoughts. He could explain that he'd agonized over a fix to this problem for weeks.

That he'd taken the hurt he'd seen on Niko's face to heart--had felt shitty about being the source of that pain. Admitting it felt like owning up to blame that wasn't his to bear. Max knew that his nature was no more his fault than Niko's was the corpse's. They were both a consequence of traits intrinsic to them: A demigod with the burden of life saving magic, and a corpse twisted into undeath by means that Max could scarcely even fathom.

Max's blond brows creased. This sort of thinking was so far outside of his norm that he was beginning to piss himself off. If he wanted this friendship, blaming anything or anyone for it falling apart was a waste of time. A waste of energy. A waste of thoughts. He would do what he always did: refuse to be denied.

Now the silence had dragged on so long that it was getting awkward. If he was feeling it, god knew what Niko was thinking.

He muttered a quiet 'fuck it'. Explaining the experiment was pointless. All there was to it was to do it, and fix it if he was too weak to accomplish a satisfactory result.

Max scooted over on the bench, closing some of that carefully curated distance. He focused on his breathing--laser sighted on his sense of control. He raised a hand on dropped it gently atop Niko's head. His power bucked, a slight recoil that was easy enough for Max to ignore. Carefully, he curled his fingers into Niko's hair before giving the dark locks a gentle ruffle. With measured adjustments, Max was able to shut down the last vestiges of his diagnostic power.

He couldn't help the soft laughter.

"Fuck yes. I did it." He declared. "Sorry, calling it an experiment made it sound rather dirty, didn't it?"

[aeipathcy]

The silence that followed his question was loud. In fact, it pressed for so long that Niko had begun to stare and wonder what sort of devious thing this so-called demigod had in store for him. Should he prepare for some form of torment or discomfort? Should he prepare himself for that look of disgust again or a very vivid recoil?

Before he could make a remark, a hand landed on his head, making the brunette freeze while his eyes widened in disbelief. The last thing Niko expected was for Max to initiate contact himself. Plus, the method of contact was simply... completely unexpected. Surely, if he was alive, too many mechanisms would've been set off by this simple head pat. Wait, no they wouldn't. What was he even thinking? Half of him wanted to recoil instead from that thought—but if he did that, they'd be back to square 1 or completely ruined. The warmth growing on his cheeks meant nothing.

Trying not to put too much focus on how nice it actually felt to have this soft intimacy, the corpse attempted to look casual as he returned to sipping on his milkshake—only to wince at the flavor. Using the excuse to look away and inspect what he bought, his gaze shifted to the drink in his hand, his grimace speaking to his disappointment. Yeesh, how'd he mess that up? These were totally frozen strawberry pieces! He set his disappointment of a milkshake aside.

And now he couldn't distract himself anymore. Actually, having a hand ruffle his hair right now didn't feel bad at all. So what if it felt nice? There wasn't anything wrong with feeling that, right? What was he getting so worked up for? He never really thought Max as the type to gentle about anything, but this was likely just a one time thing. He doubted this kind of thing would happen again. For now, he just had to bear his own emotional discomfort in spite of genuinely being more than okay with fine with the contact itself.

Still, was Max okay? Niko couldn't help but worry as the hand in his hair continued to ruffle through it. As much as he was savoring tolerating this little bit of closeness, he found himself worrying about how Max might respond after this moment passed. What if this only lasted for now and he felt the recoil effects way la—

Or maybe his worry was unfounded if that laugh and cheer meant anything.

Taking the chance to get himself out of his emotional discomfort, Niko reached to pry Max's hand off his head, holding it away loosely by his wrist and keeping his fingers out of reach of his scalp. Giving the other a (weak) pointed look, he attempted to mask his unnecessary feelings behind half furrowed brows and a (not so) serious gaze.

❝ You mind tellin' me what brought that on? ❞ he questioned with a slight bite to his tone only to then soften it upon elaborating, ❝ I didn't know what to guess from an experiment, but ruffling my hair wasn't on the list of considerations. ❞

[aeipathcy]

OOC. Idk what X-kit's issue is but I can't properly trim reblogs. I apologize in advance.

[rpclefairy]

growing closer.

prompts for characters getting to know each other.

“i don't think you realize how much people notice you.”

“you don't seem particularly trusting. then again, maybe neither am i.”

“you have a habit of appearing at interesting moments.”

“you strike me as someone who trusts their gut. am i wrong?”

“i've noticed you always leave before everyone else.”

“i think you enjoy keeping people guessing.”

“you seem restless.”

“it's strange how you can be surrounded by people and still feel alone.”

“have i ever told you that you're difficult to read?”

“you look like you haven't slept.”

“you know this place well enough that i'm starting to wonder if you've always lived here.”

“do you ever worry about the kind of person you're becoming?”

“i've known a lot of people. none of them were quite like you.”

“i can't decide whether people truly change, or if they just become better at hiding parts of themselves.”

“i had the strangest dream last night. do you remember yours when you wake up?”

“the more i get to know you, the more i keep noticing little similarities between the two of us.”

“i didn't realize you'd remember that.”

“most people seem uncomfortable with silence. i never minded it much.”

“you seem to know more than you're saying.”

“you seem comfortable on your own. i wonder if that's the same thing as never feeling lonely.”

“do you always look this serious?”

“you're easier to talk to than i expected.”

“i've always thought trust is harder to earn than people pretend.”

“you always seem to be watching.”

“i think you've been avoiding me.”

“you're not at all what i thought you would be.”

“whenever i ignore my instincts, i end up regretting it. what about you?”

“i wasn't expecting to run into you again.”

“i can't tell if you're someone who enjoys solitude or just tolerates it.”

“i know it sounds childish, but i can't help believing some people are meant to find one another.”

“you make a terrible liar.”

“you don't strike me as the sort of person people forget.”

“i think people underestimate you.”

“i can't decide whether you're charming or frustrating.”

“i don't think i've seen you smile before.”

“i wasn't sure you'd come.”

“it's a little strange. i think i've started looking forward to seeing you.”

“sometimes i wonder if we ever really know anyone.”

“you're surprisingly good company.”

“i think most people would like to believe they're good. i'm not sure it's always that simple.”

“i think being truly understood is a far rarer thing than people realize.”

“i don't usually tell people this...”

“you make that look easy.”

[mythshire]

※.·:·.※ 𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐂𝐊 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐌𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐖 ··· a collection of chosen bonds, found family, & unconditional belonging roleplay sentence starters. genre: platonic love, hurt and comfort, loyalty.

• You know you don't have to keep checking on me, right? I'm fine. • How are you? Wait, did I ask that already? • I don't know what I'd do without you. I mean that. • Oh, God. I thought something happened to you. Don't scare me like that. • You're not alone in this. You know that, right? • We're family. That's what we do. We show up. • Make yourself at home, okay? This is your place too now. • Get out of here with that. You're not a burden. Don't ever say that again. • Is there anything you need? Food? A blanket? Someone to just sit with you? • So, what's next for us? • I have to admit there's a small part of me that's terrified you'll wake up one day and realize you don't need me anymore... that you'll leave. • It's just... I've never had this before. People who stay. • Why are you still here? I mean, you could go anywhere. Be with anyone. • I know I'm not easy to deal with. But thank you. For staying anyway. • [Name], I don't know what I'm doing half the time, okay? But I know I'm not doing it without you. • I don't really know where else I'd want to be, except right here. • You're the best thing that ever happened to me, you know that? • I really think you saved my life. Not dramatically. Just... by being here. • Hey. Bad dream? Come here. I've got you. • You don't owe me anything. This is what family does • Stop apologizing. You're allowed to need help. • I made your favorite. Thought you could use some comfort food today. • You look exhausted. When's the last time you actually slept? • I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me, remember? • We've been through worse. We'll get through this too. • You don't have to be strong all the time. Not with me. • I brought you something. It's stupid, but it made me think of you. • Come on. Let's get you home. • You matter to me. More than you know. • I've got your back. Always have, always will. • You're shaking. Here, take my jacket. • I know you're scared. It's okay to be scared. • You did good today. Really good. • I'm proud of you. I don't say that enough. • Stop pushing me away. I'm not leaving. • You think I'd let you face this alone? Not a chance. • I'll stay up with you. I don't mind. • You're safe here. I promise. • Tell me what you need. Anything. • You don't have to pretend with me. • I trust you. Completely. • You've got this. And if you don't, we've got this. • I'd do anything for you. You know that, right? • You're not too much. You're never too much. • This is your home now. For as long as you want it. • I'll fight for you if you can't fight for yourself right now. • You make me want to be better. A better person. • I chose you. I keep choosing you. Every day. • You're allowed to fall apart. I'll hold the pieces until you're ready.

[poohsources]

🐝  *  ―  𝑨𝑵𝑮𝑺𝑻𝒀 𝑫𝑶𝑵'𝑻 𝑺𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑺.

❛  i don't believe you anymore.  ❜ ❛  i don't have anything left to give you.  ❜ ❛  i don't know how to forgive you.  ❜ ❛  i don't know how to stop loving you.  ❜ ❛  i don't know if i hate you or miss you.  ❜ ❛  i don't know how to act around you anymore.  ❜ ❛  i don't love you anymore.  ❜ ❛  i don't need your pity.  ❜ ❛  i don't need you to save me.  ❜ ❛  i don't recognize you anymore.  ❜ ❛  i don't think we can fix this.  ❜ ❛  i don't think i can survive losing you again.  ❜ ❛  i don't want to see you again.  ❜ ❛  i don't want your apology.  ❜ ❛  i don't want to be your second choice.  ❜ ❛  don't ask me to stay.  ❜ ❛  don't ask me to be okay with this.  ❜ ❛  don't come back to me just because you're lonely.  ❜ ❛  don't leave me here alone.  ❜ ❛  don't lie to me again.  ❜ ❛  don't love me only when it's convenient.  ❜ ❛  don't make me choose between you and myself.  ❜ ❛  don't make me hate you just so i can let you go.  ❜ ❛  don't pretend you're the only one who suffered.  ❜ ❛  don't say you love me unless you mean it.  ❜ ❛  don't tell me what to do.  ❜ ❛  don't tell me this was all for nothing.  ❜ ❛  don't touch me.  ❜ ❛  don't turn this around on me.  ❜ ❛  don't you dare hold my past against me.  ❜ ❛  you don't deserve me.  ❜ ❛  you don't get to decide when i'm done hurting.  ❜ ❛  you don't get to hurt me and call it love.  ❜ ❛  you don't get to mourn me after killing every part of me that loved you.  ❜ ❛  you don't get to rewrite what happened just because you regret it now.  ❜ ❛  you don't have to pretend you missed me.  ❜ ❛  you don't know how many times i waited for you.  ❜ ❛  you don't know what i gave up for you.  ❜ ❛  you don't understand what you did to me.  ❜ ❛  you don't understand how tired i am of being strong because of you.  ❜

[aeipathcy]

It was The Day. After missing it by a mile last year, Reece had done everything he could to make sure Lian's birthday didn't fly by without getting the recognition that it deserved. Searching for a gift had been challenging. Over the last couple of years, their gifts had become meaningful--and deep. Bracelets, dreamcatchers, a wreath all imbued with their individual power. All designed to protect. Reece didn't wanna do what he'd already done. The gift had to be unique and meaningful. Though Reece had no doubt his partner would appreciate pretty much anything he gifted him. Except maybe weird chicken creatures he'd ripped out of purgatory. Lesson Learned.

It had taken some time, and more thinking than Reece was typically good at, but he'd finally settled on something. It was a question as much as it was a gift. So when Reece appeared in Lian's house without so much as an invitation, his tummy was doing butterfly things.

Seeing the person who'd stolen his heart, Reece took a minute to appreciate Lian--who was simply existing, but bathed in sunlight that made his blond hair look like a halo. This was definitely the right move.

"Happy Birthday, Lian!" Reece said by way of greeting. In one hand, he held two cupcakes, one of them with a candle flickering on top of it. The other was there just so that Reece could eat one too. His other hand held a small, velvet covered case. For a moment, Reece juggled the cupcakes, trying to open the case before realizing he was gonna either set his hair on fire, smudge the case with frosting, or start a house fire. He sat the cupcakes down. For safety.

He popped open the case, and a small, simple band with white gold and yellow gold winding around each other in an intricate coil. Each color meant to signify the two of them.

"It's not quite an engagement ring," Reece hurried to explain before Lian could get too worked up. "But its a promise. After college, and when we're ready, we'll seal this deal. Every time I picture what comes next, it always starts with a Lian at my side. So I wanted some kinda physical something to show where I want us to go--what our future looks like. Um, if that's what you want, too."

UNPROMPTED ┊always accepting.

The day had been mostly quiet outside of a short celebration in the afternoon. If it were the older him, Lian probably would've complained about the day being so mundane, but today, he was grateful for the morning being quiet and the energy being more low-key than anything. Niko and Naoki had set up a small moment for him to blow out candles on a mini cake they all shared, but other than that, it was pretty much having the day to himself. Upon everyone finishing up their slices, Lian had offered to take care of the clean up, insisting Niko go back to sleep since he looked more dead than usual. Naoki had disappeared in the midst of that conversation, but it wasn't like the caladrius expected that guy to help at all.

With the house to himself now, Lian found himself relaxing as he began clearing the table then moved to washing up the plates and cutlery. He hummed a short tune as he scrubbed them, deciding to fully hand wash them rather than put them in the dishwasher. After setting those dishes out to dry, the blond glanced at the slice of vanilla cake he had set aside for Reece at the table. He knew his boyfriend would be visiting soon enough, and it was only right he also have some of the cake too.

Just as he was about to grab his phone off the table to text him, the very person he was thinking about had teleported in out of nowhere. Wow, they really were on the same page when it came to showing up when there was a desire to see each other—Reece being the better of them at it, but still.

A smile stretched on his face at his partner's greeting, Lian unable to hide the joy he felt seeing his favorite person on the planet. He would've gone to hug him right away, but the caladrius immediately noticed the cupcakes in hand and stood where he was by the chair he had been sitting in not that long ago. He couldn't help but find himself nearly chuckling in amusement, eyes brightening as Reece fumbled to set the cupcakes down next to the slice of cake on the table.

He hadn't taken note of the velvet box until Reece had popped it open, and seeing the ring inside nearly made his heart stop, the joy on his face being replaced with surprise. His thoughts screeched to a stop, knowing that it probably wasn't what his initial instinct was saying it was. Still, it was hard to stop expectation from budding in his chest.

A ring was a very... intentional gift. And it wasn't like the old days where he could dismiss the possible intention easily—Reece had been by his side for years now. They were inseparable, always able to lean on each other for support, and the love that swelled in his chest every time they touched wasn't something he could just ignore when he considered what this ring might mean. But maybe that just spoke to how much he wanted it to mean that.

Heart beating loudly in his ears, Lian fought to listen to the explanation behind the gift. The ring was a promise. A promise of the future—his brows furrowed as he let Reece's intentions sink in—but not just any future; it was one where they would be together forever. Heat blossomed on his cheeks and he just knew his mind had went even further down the path he wasn't supposed to be assuming right now. Could he be blamed though? Even if this wasn't an outright proposal... it still technically was one.

And it wasn't like Lian hadn't imagined marrying this person in front of him a million times already.

❝ There's... no way I wouldn't... want that, ❞ he finally muttered with his gaze set on that ring that was honestly too perfect for words, clearly too worked up to get the words out properly. He hid his wavering expression half behind his fingers, uncertain how his muddled mess of feelings might be read.

Forcing himself to get a hold of himself, Lian took an intentional breath in and out, then lowered his hand to carefully take the ring out of the display case. He was careful when looking it over to admire the detailing. Somehow, the ring really felt like the two of them in essence. Was it the colors or the way they coiled around each other harmoniously? Not to mention, it very much felt part of the collection of accessories he was already wearing as tokens of new stages in their relationship thus far.

After a short pause to determine where to place said ring, Lian spread out the fingers on his right hand, and slid the ring onto his ring finger. He rotated his hand to see how it felt, and... it felt right to put it there. It may not be the ring meant to connect to his heart just yet, but it would be a reminder of that ring being something to look forward to. Plus, he'd see it every time he move to interact with something, and he'd be reminded of Reece's promise upon seeing the ring there.

His eyes nearly watered seeing the ring in place and his heart was doing flips in his chest. Was it strange to feel so emotional over this?

Lifting his head to finally meet Reece's expectant gaze, Lian rushed to close the gap and pull Reece into a tight hug. He hid his face in his shoulder, not wanting Reece to take note of how his tear ducts might be brimming with happy tears right now. Hands grabbing at the cloth of his partner's hoodie at the back, the caladrius squeezed him tight, as if to distract him from the tone that may sound he could be tearing up over this.

❝ Of course I want that, Reece, ❞ he spoke more fluidly this time, ❝ of course I want to spend the rest of my life with you. ❞

Nothing would make him happier than that.

[aeipathcy]

“I’m perfectly alright.” [Medusa x Larisa]

MEME┊accepting.

The time spent with Medusa had become something Larisa had been looking forward to. There was some sort of synergy she had with this girl, even if she couldn't exactly place why she felt more willing to humor her than anyone else. It could be that she didn't have to worry about causing her any harm. After all, with every glance into the blonde's green eyes, Larisa felt the spirit residing within her shriek and shrivel. And when that thing withered within her—well, why wouldn't she thrive on making that demonic spirit suffer?

I’m perfectly alright.

Even now as she flicked her gaze to meet her newfound friend's eyes, Larisa gently took hold of Medusa's wrist, bringing her hand closer to inspect the cut on her finger. Despite her heart skipping beats in fear of another injury forming on her friend somewhere, the redhead simply knew it wouldn't show—because that spirit had been petrified for now. It couldn't do anything. It couldn't leech off Medusa's life force just by existing nor through contact. Grabbing a plaster from her pocket, she reminded herself it was safe to touch her now.

Almost savoring the feeling of another hand in hers, Larisa took her time to apply the plaster around the cut finger. It was probably noticeable how stupidly long she took to wrap the band-aid around Medusa's finger, but she couldn't help it. She didn't know how to request for such things, and she wouldn't dare act weird about needing more touch. The last time she jumped the gun, the poor guy had distanced himself quite far, and she didn't want to repeat that mistake with her new friend here.

Reluctantly letting go without a word, Larisa pulled away and turned her attention back to the book shelf in front of her, resuming normal activity like one would do at a book store. She liked this little shop sitting by the café. Not many people dropped by so it was nice to use as a hiding spot while the crowd outside thinned out.

❝ New books are more prone to giving paper cuts, so be careful when flipping pages, ❞ Larisa spoke up, grabbing a random, pink colored book off the shelf.

Almost as if the universe was mocking her, the book she happened to pull out had absolutely irked her, its cover and title almost calling out her exact situation right now as it depicted a blushing vampire girl patching a wound on a human girl's hand. As much as she wasn't one to turn down a book featuring a romance between women normally, this one was absolutely in poor taste at the moment.

Practically glaring at the title, the redhead set the book back on the shelf, realizing that it wouldn't meet her needs of a romance that actually catered to her own line of thinking. She supposed she was looking in the wrong section, but it was somewhat hard to find books with characters she could connect with. Most of these stories were simply too wholesome for her taste.

Glancing over to Medusa, she figured she may throw her a question to keep the conversation going, ❝ What kind of book are you looking for? ❞

[strongwilledsoul]

Weeks of work had gone into arriving at this little meeting. A small park, twilight hours, just a corpse and a healer--two unlikely friends. And even to Max's surprise, he did consider Niko just that. A friend. One of the very few he'd ever allowed to own the title.

The last time they spoke, they'd argued. A rift had formed, and Max wasn't sure how to repair it. Any other time he wouldn't have cared. 'Oh well, that was fun while it lasted'. But he couldn't find it in himself to discard Niko in that same way.

God dammit.

He'd taken to introspection, reflection, trying to discern the root cause of their dispute. It all came back to touch. Max couldn't touch Niko without his power going haywire and sending alarm bells ringing through his head like a five alarm fire. He'd recoiled--some would call it rudely, but for Max it felt like self preservation.

His diagnostic magic had cost him a few too many hook-ups anyways. Nothing killed the mood like the boy you were gonna take home having a tapeworm he doesn't know about...Besides, his powers were still developing. If he found one inconvenient, he simply had to train it. Own it.

"I imagine you're wondering why I called you out," Max said as he approached. He was surprised to find he was relieved Niko had come. Had he been subconsciously worried about being rejected?

"I want to repair this rift between us. Get back to what we were," because I value this friendship. He left it unsaid, because there was no fucking way he was admitting it out loud.

"So I asked you here to participate in an experiment of sorts. There's no risk to you, I just need to test something."

@aeipathcy

[aeipathcy]

Niko knew he had been screwing everything up lately. He could blame it on his half asleep brain or the fact that same brain of his continued to decay day after day, but none of those excuses felt remotely enough to fix things. It wasn't like he wanted to make those excuses anyway. Even though he had asked others for advice on how to fix it, nothing really ended up happening. He still ruined stuff anyway by saying the wrong thing, pushing the one good friend he had away. It wouldn't be a surprise to him if this last meet up was Max telling him they were absolutely done being friends.

The corpse had been so on edge that he had grabbed a different flavor of milkshake than usual, hardly noticing the fact that his drink wasn't even the same color as usual. He barely noticed the pieces of strawberry mixed in either. Even though he was familiar with the routine of buying his milkshake and meeting people at this small park, he was simply... scared—was that the feeling?—of what might happen this time. This park had been a place filled with good memories. He didn't want it to start becoming a painful one.

His unbeating heart felt heavy in his chest when Max moved to sit next to him, a couple feet away as per the usual distance kept between them. Niko honestly hated how far away that distance felt. Normally, he wasn't someone who minded that, but it felt different when he knew Max utterly despised any form of contact with him.

He slightly turned his head towards Max, red eyes fixing onto his friend's profile, listening attentively as he spoke. He took another sip of his strawberry milkshake.

Experiment? His eyebrows rose in confusion as he coughed loudly, barely preventing said milkshake from heading down the wrong pipe.

❝ … What? ❞ he stupidly uttered after swallowing. He let out a couple of coughs to revive his voice.

Niko was definitely open to repairing their relationship, but what did an experiment have to do with it? Wasn't he supposed to be in the wrong and the one trying to make things right for all the badly worded stuff he had said before?

Deciding to humor it anyway, Niko figured he should probably fish for more information. Wiping his lips clean with the back of his free hand, he awkwardly followed up his earlier outburst, ❝ I... don't mind, but, uh, what kind of experiment? ❞ Surely this wasn't a poor excuse of a joke, right?

[aeipathcy]

"You know, you haven't spoken in a minute." [Connor x Reanne]

MEME┊accepting.

The number of times Reanne had text Connor to hang out must have been met with concern. She had a boyfriend and yet here she was bugging another guy frequently enough to raise flags for any average person. Then again, Alex wasn't the type to be overly worried about this sort of thing as he knew she had plenty of guy friends from the start. Then again, she really could be using her time better than dragging her clearly busy friends into her problems.

You know, you haven't spoken in a minute.

❝ I haven't? ❞ Reanne questioned in confusion upon the observation, momentarily perking up in her seat. Had she really not been rambling her head off this time? How could she not have realized how stuck in her own thoughts she was? To think she was the one who invited him out for a drink at the local coffee shop only to get lost in her own head? Maybe all the issues with herself were too much for her right now.

Taking a sip of her lukewarm, heavily sweetened coffee, the auburn haired girl let out a sigh, ❝ Sorry, I guess all the issues I have with my life are getting to me. Heck I still can't get out of my accursed retail job at the mall. ❞ Not to mention, she couldn't stop realizing how much she had been going back to her old destructive habits. Sure, she had been mending things with Alex since months ago, but her stress was apparently much more tied to her own personal growth than their relationship issues.

She set her cup down and lowered her head into her hands, fingers threading through her hair almost angrily as she pulled back some locks of her framing locks of hair.

❝ I can't even get my life together and I'm probably forcing my boyfriend to work harder than he needs to to make up for my shitty choices and lack of direction, ❞ she began to rant, ❝ of course, as a college drop out, I can't do much—if only I actually knew what I wanted to do. And I'm even wasting my pitiful paycheck on overpriced coffee right now. ❞

Ugh, she was a mess. An ugly one. And Reanne hated that. Everyone else was so put together and she only continued to fumble life completely. Why did Alex choose her of all people? Surely he could find someone better off than her. The only thing she had going for her was her looks. Outside of that, she had nothing of value. But even now that plus point was slowly being washed down the drain the more she neglected proper self-care.

Taking a deep breath, her voice grew quiet and she oriented her wrists so that her palms would cover her eyes, ❝ I just... feel so pathetic, Connor. I'm tired of myself. ❞

[mcflymemes]

PROMPTS FOR CATCHING UP AND CHECKING IN *  assorted dialogue for pauses in the action when you need to check to see if they're okay, adjust as necessary

are you holding up all right?

thought i should stop by, see if you were okay.

you know, you haven't spoken in a minute.

you're starting to worry me.

is this thoughtful silence, or worried silence?

can i get you anything?

i'm perfectly all right.

sometimes i think about what will happen if we fail, and it terrifes me.

you can stop worrying about me now.

you had a moment back there.

what was all that yelling about?

i've worried about you since day one.

can we sit down?

you might feel better if you talk to me about it.

i was hoping we could catch up.

there's a lot more going on than i expected.

it's starting to get to me.

tell me the truth. are you all right?

i'm not a hero. i don't know why i'm doing this.

i can tell when you're lying to me, pretending everything's okay when it's not.

you're a horrible liar.

what was that all about?

i heard you yelling.

it sounded like an argument to me.

what's on your mind?

something's clearly bothering you.

can you just sit still?

you've never been honest with me.

they said you needed to talk to me?

i can tell when you're lying. i can see it in your face.

i know you better than you know yourself.

spill. everything.

that's not what it looked like from here.

i don't want to talk to anyone.

can you leave me alone for a while?

thanks but no thanks.

is this your way of checking on me?

who put you up to this?

if you'd just been honest with me from the start, we wouldn't be here.

when they said you were out here, i thought i'd stop by, see how you were doing.

you don't have to handle all of this by yourself, you know.

there are people who really care about you, who want to see you succeed.

think about the people who love you.

i don't like seeing you struggle this way.

i could use a shoulder to cry on right about now.

i just feel so lost.

everything is riding on me, and i'm not used to that.

there's too much responsibility on my shoulders right now.

thanks for letting me vent a little.

i didn't mean to word vomit.

you make it easy.

i feel like i can trust you.

no one understands me but you.

thank you for giving me a chance to speak.

thank you for stopping by to see me.

you should come by more often.

the battle's not over.

we still have work to do.

i trust you'll be ready for the final battle?

tomorrow's a big day. you should get some rest.

if you need anything, you know where to find me.

it will feel better if you just come right out and say it.

no one should ever carry the burden you do.

i think the world of you.

what do they say? this too shall pass.